Diaper



L. l. MEDOFF Nov. 28, 1950 DIAPER Original Filed Jan. 24, 1947 INVENTOR. ou/s I. Medoff Patented Nov. 28, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DIAPER Louis I. Medo, Cambridge, Mass.

Continuation of' application Serial No. 723,920, This application March 6, 1947, Serial No. '732,864

(Cl. 12S- 287) January 24, 1947.

2 Claims. l

This invention relates to an improved diaper which is especially, though not exclusively, adapted for use by an infant.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a novel diaper having an absorbent pad and a pad-holding or body member adapted to be applied to the body of the infant and by which the pad is held in proper position, together with a protective shield element of impervious material interposed between the pad and the body member to protect said body member against any moisture that may be absorbed by the pad, so that the body member will always be dry.

A further object of the invention is to provide a diaper of the above type with an absorbent pad that is readily removable from the body member so that when the pad becomes soiled, it can easily be removed and replaced by a fresh dry pad.

Another object of the invention is to provide a diaper of this type in which the protective shield is in the form of an envelope of impervious material that is readily removable from and replaceable in the body member, and which is so made as to receivewithin it the absorbent pad, said envelope functioning to protect the body member from contact with the pad while permitting the infants excretions to be received by the pad.

Another object of the invention is to provide a diaper of the above type which is so constructed that outside the opening of the pocket not only the entire outside surface thereof, but also all of the inside surface which has contact with the skin of the infant except that defined by the opening of the pocket will be kept dry at all times.

In the drawings wherein there is shown a selected embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a view with parts broken out, showing a diaper embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2 2, Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a View of the envelope of impervious material.

Fig. 4 is a view of the absorbent pad.

Fig. 5 is a sectional perspective view taken on the line 5-5, Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the shape assumed by the diaper when it is applied to an infant.

The diaper herein shown comprises a body member I which is of a shape to pass through the crotch and up the back and front of the infant, said member being arranged on the infant 2 with the end portion 2 at the back and theend portion 3 at the front. vAny suitable means may be used to detachably secure together the side edges of the end portions 2 and 3 after said member has been placed on the infant, safety pins 4 being shown in Fig. 4 for this purpose.

The body member is preferably made of some soft, smooth-surfaced fabric which will have no irritating eiiect on the skin of the infant. Said body member I is made with a pocket 5 intermediate of its end portions 2 and 3, which pocket is provided with an opening I3 on the inside face of said body member. The body member may conveniently be made of two plies of fabric, 8 and 9, which are stitched together at the edge, as seen at I0, and the pocket 5 can be formed by stitching the two plies together by two widely spaced transversely extending lines of stitching II and I2. The inside fabric ply 8 is formed with an opening I3 leading to the pocket 5 and which provides access to said pocket. The dimension of the pocket opening I3 both longitudinally and transversely of the body member is greater than that of the pocket 5, and said opening is preferably situated substantially centrally of the pocket.

Situated within the pocket 5 is a pad I4 of absorbent material which is exposed through the pocket opening I3, and interposed between the pad and both plies 8 and 9 of the body member is a protective member of impervious material which protects the body member from any moisture that may be absorbed by the pad I4. Such protective member may conveniently be in the form of an envelope I5 of a size to be readily received in the pocket 5 and which has an opening I6 in one side that registers with the pocket opening I3, but which is no larger than said opening I3. The envelope I5 may be made of any flexible material that is waterproof or impervious to moisture.

When the envelope containing a pad I4 is in place within the pocket 5, as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5, the material of the envelope protects both the inside ply 8 and the outside ply 9 from contact with the pad. Moreover if the openings I3 and I6 are of the same size as shown in the drawings, no portion vof the of the impervious envelope I5 will be exposed and the body of the infant will thus be protected by the inner ply 8 of the body member against contact with the protective envelope.

The registering openings I3 and I6 are so positioned that when the body member is placed on the infant and the two end portions 2 and 3 are fastened together, said openings are properly placed so the excretions from the infant will pass through them and will be absorbed by the pad I4. Because of the impervious character of the envelope, none of the moisture absorbed by the pad will be transferred to the body member l and the latter will therefore remain dry at all times, so that the only wet surface thatcan come into contact Vwith the infant is that portion of the pad which is exposed through the registering openings I3 and I6.

The envelope l5 is separable from the body member and may be removed from or replaced in the pocket 5 through the pocket opening .1.3.

The pad I4 is also separable from the envelope and can be removed from or Ireplaced inthe envelope through the envelope opening f6.

The pad may also be in the nature of a single service pad which can be discarded after it has become soiled, or it may be a washable pad that vcan .be washed and hence used Vover and over again.

An infant wearing this .improved diaper will always be dry `to carry orhold because even if the ,pad becomes wet, the outside ply.9 of the-body member will remain .dry due to the interposition .of lthe Vimpervious .envelope between it and the wet-pad. Furthermore, the entire surface ofthe inside ply 8 .of the body member that has contact with the skin Voi" the 'infant will also remain drs/because the inside face of theenvelopepro- 'tcc'ts suchinside ply "8 from contact withlthewet pad.

When the pad becomes wet, the only wet surface that can contact the skin of the infant is `that exposed through the .opening I6 of the envelope.

After 'the .pad f4 has become soiled, the envelope and soiled pad maybe easily removed from the body member, and the soiled pad. removed -from the envelope .and replaced by afresh dry pad, .after which .the filled envelope can be replaced in the pocket.

This application is a continuation of Aapplica- 'tion No. .723,920 filed January 24, 1947.

I claim:

1. A diaper comprising an elongated vbody member shaped to pass through the crotch and up 'the front and back of an infant, said body 'member comprising `two plies of fabric which are absorbent material removably retained in the envelope, a portion of said pad being exposed through the registering openings, said envelope providing Aan Aimpervious shield between the pad and both the inner and outer plies of the body member.

A2. A 'diaper comprising an elongated body 'member shaped 'to pass through the crotch and up the ifront and back of an infant, said body having at its intermediate portion a pad-receiving .pocket `having ,inner Aand outer .sides yintcgral with and forming part of the body member, the inner side of the pocket having an opening .located ,substantially centrally of [the pocket, the dimension of .which opening both lengthwise and transversely .of the .body member is less than .that of the pocket, a protective envelope .loosely received within the .pocket but unattached to the body member and .removable from :the pocket through the l.pocket opening, said envelopehaving ,inner and ,outer sides formed of material .whichis impervious to .water and .forming between them a compartment .and Valso having `an opening in the inner side leading to said compartment, which opening Ais substantially the .same size .as and registers with the pocket opening, 4the .inner `ply of the body member covering all of the inner side of the envelope .surrounding its opening, and a pad of absorbent material removably retained within the compartment of the envelope, .a portio-n of said pad being exposed through .the registering openings, said envelope with Lits enclosed pad beingremovable from-the pocket of the body member through the pocket .opening .and when in the pocket completely .protecting both vthe innerand outer plies of thebody member against moisture that maybe absorbed by the pad.

LOUIS I. LMEDOEE.

REFERENCES CITED The lfollowing references are of record ,in the fle of this patent:

UNITED "STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,977,604 Alsop Oct. 23, 1934 2,122,417 Fridolph July '5, 1938 

